1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to determination in first and second dimensions of characteristics of material, for example automatic inspection and sorting of discrete objects of differing compositions, e.g. waste objects, or automatic inspection of sheet material, which may be in the form of a strip, for surface layer composition, e.g. surface layer thickness.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed under 37CFR 1.97 and 1.98
With the recent focus on collection and recycling of waste, the cost effectiveness of waste sorting has become an essential economic parameter.
In the “Dual System” in Germany all recyclable “non-biological” packaging waste excluding glass containers and newsprint is collected and sorted in more than 300 sorting plants.
Objects can be sorted on the basis of:                Size        Density/weight        Metal content (using eddy current effect)        Ferrous metal content (using magnetic separation)but most objects such as plastics bottles and beverage cartons are today sorted out manually. Some beverage cartons contain an aluminium barrier and by eddy current induction they can be expelled from the waste stream. Generally, beverage cartons in their simpler form present a composite object consisting of paperboard with polymer overcoats on both their inside and outside surfaces.        
To make a positive identification by automatic means is very difficult. Physical shape is normally quite distorted, making any camera-based recognition very complex unless the printing pattern is made in a specially recognisable way, or the carton is equipped with a recognisable marker or tracer.
Several sorting systems exist today that can sort a number of different plastics bottles/objects from each other when they arrive sequentially (i.e. one-by-one). The detection is based on reflected infrared spectrum analysis. To separate the various polymers a quite elaborate variance analysis has to be performed and thus detection systems become expensive. The objects being fed sequentially pass beneath the infrared spectral detector whereby infrared is shone onto the objects and the relative intensities of selected wavelengths of the infrared radiation reflected are used to determine the particular plastics compound of the plastics passing beneath the detection head. Downstream of the detection head are a number of air jets which blow the individual plastics objects into respective bins depending upon the plastics which constitutes the majority of the object.
A similar system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,291 in which, although the objects to be sorted can be made of any material, e.g. metals, paper, plastics or any combination thereof, it is critical that at least some of the objects be made predominantly from PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and PS (polystyrene) as well as predominantly from at least two of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PE (polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene), for example objects including: an object made predominantly from PET, an object made predominantly from PS, an object made predominantly from PVC and an object made predominantly from PE. A source of NIR (Near Infra Red), preferably a tungsten lamp, radiates NIR onto a conveyor sequentially advancing the objects, which reflect the NIR into a detector in the form of a scanning grating NIR spectrometer or a diode array NIR spectrometer. The detector is connected to a digital computer connected to a series of solenoid valves controlling a row of air-actuated pushers arranged along the conveyor opposite a row of transverse conveyors. The diffuse reflectance of the irradiated objects in the NIR region is measured to identify the particular plastics of each object and the appropriate solenoid valve and thus pusher are operated to direct that object laterally from the conveyor onto the appropriate transverse conveyor. The computer can manipulate data in the form of discrete wavelength measurements and in the form of spectra. A measurement at one wavelength can be ratioed to a measurement at another wavelength. Preferably, however, the data is manipulated in the form of spectra and the spectra manipulated, by analogue signal processing and digital pattern recognition, to make the differences more apparent and the resulting identification more reliable.
DE-A-4312915 discloses the separation of plastics, particularly of plastics waste, into separate types, on the basis of the fact that some types of plastics have characteristic IR spectra. In the IR spectroscopic procedure, the intensity of diffusely reflected radiation from each sample is measured on a discrete number of NIR wavelengths simultaneously and the intensities measured are compared. Measurements are taken on wavelengths at which the respective types of plastics produce the minimum intensities of reflected radiation. If, for example, three different plastics are to be separated, each sample is measured on three-wavelengths simultaneously, whereby one type of plastics is identified in a first comparison of the intensity of the reflected radiation on the lowest wavelength with that of the second-lowest wavelength and the other two types of plastic are determined in a second comparison of the greater intensity on one wavelength in the first comparison with the intensity on the third wavelength. To measure the light on particular wavelengths, respective detectors can have narrow band pass filters for the respective requisite wavelengths, and respective constituent cables of a split optical fibre cable are allocated to the respective detectors, the cable entry lying in the beam path of a lens for detecting the light reflected from the sample. Alternatively, a light dispersing element, e.g. a prism or grid, is placed in the beam path after the lens and several detectors are arranged to detect the NIR of the requisite wavelengths. Sorting facilities are controlled by utilising the detection data obtained by the comparisons. As a further example, five differing plastics, namely PA (polyamide), PE, PS, PP and PETP, may be separated, utilising measurement points at five differing wavelengths between 1500 nm. and 1800 nm.
EP-A-557738 discloses an automatic sorting method with substance-specific separation of differing plastics components, particularly from domestic and industrial waste. In the method, light is radiated onto the plastics components, or the plastics components are heated to above room temperature, light emitted by the plastics components and/or light allowed through them (in an embodiment in which light transmitted through the components and through a belt conveying them is measured) is received on selected IR wavelengths, and the material of the respective plastics components is identified from differences in intensity (contrast) between the light emitted and/or absorbed, measured on at least two differing wavelengths. The light emitted or allowed through is received by a camera which reproduces it on a detector through a lens. A one-dimensional line detector is usable, although a two-dimensional matrix detector or a one-element detector with a scanning facility can be employed. In order that the camera may receive the light on selected IR wavelengths, interference filters may be mounted either in front of the light source or in front of the lens or the detector. In an example in which the material of the plastics components is identified from the differences in intensity of emitted light at two differing wavelengths, the wavelengths are chosen to produce maximum contrast. This means that one wavelength is selected so that maximum intensity of the emitted light is obtained at a specified viewing angle, whereas the other wavelength is selected so that minimum intensity is obtained at that viewing angle. Changing of wavelengths may be achieved by mounting the filters on a rotating disc, with the frequency of rotation being synchronised with the imaging frequency of the detector. Alternatively, an electrically triggered, turnable, optical filter may be employed. The electrical signals generated by the detector are fed to an electronic signal processor, digitised, and subsequently evaluated by image processing software. It is ensured that the plastics components are at approximately the same temperature at the time of imaging, as differences in contrast can also be caused by temperature differences. The belt should consist of a material which guarantees constant contrast on individual wavelengths.
There is also previously known a system in which infrared spectral detection is performed from below the objects, with the objects passing sequentially over a hole up through which the IR is directed. Again, the infrared reflected is used to sort the objects according to the various plastics within the respective objects.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,576 and EP-A-484,221 disclose a method and apparatus for distinguishing and separating material items having different levels of absorption of penetrating electromagnetic radiation by utilising a source of radiation for irradiating an irradiation zone extending transversely of a feed path over which the material items are fed or passed. The irradiation zone includes a plurality of transversely spaced radiation detectors for receiving the radiation beams from the radiation source. The material items pass through the irradiation zone between the radiation source and the detectors and the detectors measure one or more of the transmitted beams in each item passing through the irradiation zone to produce processing signals which are analyzed by signal analyzers to produce signals for actuating a separator device in order to discharge the irradiated items toward different locations depending upon the level of radiation absorption in each of the items. The disclosure states that mixtures containing metals, plastic, textiles, paper and/or other such waste materials can be separated since penetrating electromagnetic radiation typically passes through the items of different materials to differing degrees, examples given being the separation of aluminum beverage cans from mixtures containing such cans and plastic containers and the separation of chlorinated plastics from a municipal solid waste mixture. The source of penetrating radiation may be an X-ray source, a microwave source, a radioactive substance which emits gamma rays, or a source of UV energy, IR energy or visible light. One example of material items which are disclosed as having been successfully separated are recyclable plastic containers, such as polyester containers and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) containers, which were separated using X-rays.
In an eddy current system for ejecting metal from a stream of waste, the discharge end roller of a belt conveyor normally contains a strong alternating magnetic field generated by permanent magnets contained within and distributed along the roller and counter-rotating relative to the sense of rotation of the roller. This field ejects metallic objects to varying degrees depending upon the amount and the conductivity of the metal of the object. Since metallic objects in which the metal content is small, for example post-consumer packaging cartons of a laminate consisting of polymer-coated paperboard and aluminium foil, are only weakly affected by the magnetic field, such cartons, if in a greatly deformed condition, tend not to be separated-out by the eddy-current ejection system.
Another known system uses an electromagnetic field for eddy current detection through induction of eddy currents in the metal in metallic objects and the detection output is used to control an air jet ejection arrangement but this time the objects are caused to queue up one after another in single lines.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,559 discloses selective non-magnetic detection of non-ferrous metallic particles in a mixture of the same with ferrous metallic particles and non-metallic particles and non-metallic particles derived from homogenised and magnetically treated municipal or like waste by a plurality of electronic detectors and separation of a non-ferrous metallic concentrate from the mixture. In the process, the waste particles, agglomerates or vicinity of detector coils in association with an electronic activation system which activates a particle remover, preferably pneumatic. The remover may be made up of an air supply line which conducts air to an air valve and jet-type spray unit which causes most of the non-ferrous metallic particles to fall into or onto a non-metallic residue conveyor, which is separated from a metallic concentrate conveyor by a partition.
Various systems are known for automatic inspection of a continuous strip of sheet material. One system includes a mechanical scanner reciprocated across the width of the strip as the latter advances past the scanner. Light containing IR is shone onto a transverse section of the strip and the scanner includes a transducer which detects the reflected IR at a plurality of locations across the section and emits electrical signals representing, for instance, the polymer layer thickness of a polymer layer/paperboard layer laminate. This is employed in a laminating machine to control the thickness of polymer deposited onto the paperboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,558 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,146 incorporated therein by reference disclose apparatus for optically sorting small lightweight objects such as beans and/or grains on the basis of size and colour. The small objects pass through the apparatus in a plurality of separate streams, each stream being fed from its own hopper to its own control gate to its own vibrating try and thence, through its own vertically positioned channel, to arrive at its own analysis head. Each analysis head is in the form of an annulus with the central opening directly beneath the outlet end of the corresponding channel and the small objects in the corresponding stream fall down through its central opening one after another with vertical separation therebetween. Illumination is supplied by a plurality of illuminating lamps. For each analysis head, the light reflected from it particular stream is conveyed to a plurality of photodetectors of that head. The reflected light is conveyed to that plurality of photodetectors by a plurality of optical fibres of the analysis head. A solenoid-operated compressed air valve is opened when an object in the stream is to be rejected into a rejection hopper; otherwise, the valve remains closed and the objects fall directly into an acceptance hopper. It appears that analysis circuits for the respective streams are housed in a common control unit having a control panel which displays information and allows an operator to control the apparatus, including the setting of parameters.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,440 discloses a system for measuring one or a plurality of regions of an object to be able to determine one or a plurality of dimensions of the object. In one example, the system utilises a mirror arrangement for transmitting pulsed laser light so that the light impinges downwards upon the object and for receiving the upwardly reflected light. The system includes a laser, a rotating planar mirror and a concave frusto-conical mirror encircling the planar mirror, which serve for directing the light beam towards the object. The frusto-conical mirror, the planar mirror and a light receiver serve for receiving light beams which are reflected from the object. Electronic circuitry connected to the light receiver serves for calculating the travel time of the beam to and from the object, with a modulator causing the light beam to be modulated with a fixed frequency and the rotating planar mirror and the frusto-conical mirror causing the light beam to sweep across the object at a defined angle/defined angles relative to a fixed plane of reference during the entire sweeping operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,106 discloses a unit for conveying products and having a main conveying device in the form of a belt conveyor; two secondary conveying deices for feeding respective streams of products to the main conveying device via respective inputs; and a distributing device for so controlling the two streams that the products in a first of the two streams, on reaching an output of the main conveying device, are offset with respect to the products in a second of the two streams, so as to form a single succession of products through the output. The two inputs are separated by a vertical partition extending towards the location where the two streams are combined.